Baking failures do not sit pretty with yours truly. Especially when I am achy and voiceless and my head feels like a giant damp wad of gluten-free dough with too much xanthan gum added (you gluten-free bakers know exactly what I'm talking about). I feel like the goddess of sticky, thick and dull. And there ain't no cure. Except maybe a hot toddy. Or three.

Lucky for me I have a husband who likes to bake. A husband who says (as his brittle, grumpy hot-flashing wife is muttering expletives and scraping another gooey not-in-a-good-way gluten-free vegan brownie failure into the perky polka dotted trash can), So.

How can we make this work?

For a split second I panic and think, He's over it. He's finally tired of living gluten-free. Living without baguettes and bagels and croissants out of love, a sense of duty, or comradeship and support.

I hear him ask this beneath my visions of Kate's tears and windswept hair swirling under the throb and thwack of the helicopter blades (that kiss!).

Excellent question, I respond, as I straighten up and dump the empty brownie pan into the sink. Maybe the quinoa flakes help the structure, I murmur. Maybe vegan brownies need more than flour and sugar for structure, I think aloud ,gaining momentum. Maybe- just maybe- the quinoa flakes work a little magic- the way tofu or beans might.

And that, Dear Reader, is the third act moment eyes re-met across the tiny space of a Santa Monica fifth floor apartment, the winter solstice sun slanting in a soft cool glow.

And I knew.

A man who ponders quinoa with you, is a man willing to jump from a helicopter.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Quinoa Brownies Recipe

For those of you who must bake gluten-free without eggs- this chocolate brownie recipe is for you. Using quinoa flakes makes all the difference. Quinoa creates a tender, moist vegan brownie without the tang of fruit puree, or metallic aftertaste of beans (not to mention, no tofu!).

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a 11x13-inch baking pan with lightly greased parchment.

Spread the batter into the prepared baking pan, and using wet or oiled hands, press and smooth the surface evenly. Place the pan into the center of a pre-heated oven and bake until set - about 25 to 35 minutes depending upon your oven and altitude. Insert s thin knife to check if you are unsure to make certain the center has baked thoroughly.

Cool on a wire rack. Using a thin sharp knife, cut the brownies into squares; wrap them in foil; bag in a freezer storage bag. Freeze.

Delicious warm or slightly chilled.

Makes 15 to 18 brownies.

Recipe Source: glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com

All images & content are copyright protected, all rights reserved. Please do not use our images or content without prior permission. Thank you.